seng1 zin1腥膻

Jyutpingseng1 zin1

Yalesēng jīn

Definition

The smell of raw meat or fish; meat or a meat-based diet; also used historically to disparage foreign invaders.

the smell of raw fish, mutton, or other meats
meat or a meat diet
literaryforeign invaders or enemies

colloquialfooddescriptions

How it's used

Used primarily to describe the pungent, gamey odor associated with raw meat, fish, or mutton. While it can technically refer to the smell of blood or raw flesh, it is rarely used in modern daily conversation and carries a slightly literary or descriptive weight. When used to describe people, it is an archaic and highly offensive slur used to dehumanize invaders by comparing them to the smell of raw meat.

Examples

le1呢gin2件saam1衫hou2好daai6大zan6陣seng1腥膻zin1味。

This shirt has a very strong smell of meat.

nei5你sik6食jyun4完juk6肉gei3記dak1得sai2洗sau2手，hou2好seng1腥膻zin1呀。

Remember to wash your hands after eating meat, it smells fishy.

Related words

synonymseng1腥sēngsee alsosou1臊sōu

Common phrases

seng1腥膻zin1味

the smell of raw meat or fish

Common mistake

Do not confuse this with 腥, which is the common, everyday word for fishy or metallic smells. 腥膻 is much more specific to the heavy, gamey scent of animal fat or raw flesh and is not used for general bad smells.